Lavrov says Russian-Turkish talks on Syria were useful

The high-level talks on the situation in Syria were held in Moscow

MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. The high-level talks between Russia and Turkey on Syria were useful, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday.

"We held a very useful meeting of our interdepartmental team: the foreign and defense ministers and the intelligence services’ chiefs," he said.

"Following the agreements, which were reached by our presidents, we discussed further steps to implement those tasks, which were outlined in the Astana format, primarily in the context of fighting terrorism, resolving humanitarian issues and creating conditions for refugees’ return," Lavrov added.

The high-level talks between Russia and Turkey on the situation in Syria were held in Moscow on Saturday. Russia was represented, in addition to Lavrov, by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Head Sergei Naryshkin and Chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov. The Turkish delegation included Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Head of the National Intelligence Organization Hakan Fidan.